Garment-form.



J. P. GEMS. GARMENT FORM.

APPLICATION FILED 832118, 1903. I

Patented Mar. 5, 1912 2 SEEETS-SHEET 1.

AZZZineyaj J. F. GEMS.

GARMENT FORM. APPLIGATIOR FILED SEPT. 1a, 1903.

Patented Mar.5, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

STA

FTCE.

GARMENT-FORM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

Application filed September 18, 1903. Serial No. 173,706.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS FREDERICK GnMs, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Windmill Hill House, Hampstead, in the county of London, England, manufacturer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Garment-Forms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to garment forms and has for its main object to provide adjustable means whereby a garment form may be expanded or contracted horizontally for the purpose of adjusting said form to the size and out of the garments to be supported thereupon.

The more particular objects of this invention are to provide an apparatus that is at once simplified in its structure and of the requisite degree of strength; to provide improved means for guiding and controlling the various movements of the adjustable parts; and to furnish means whereby the form may be concealed from view at times when it is not in use.

Vith these objects in view and for a better understanding of the elements of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1- is a perspective view of a garment form embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same with the covering removed and partly broken away; Fig. 3 is a reverse sectional plan view taken approximately on the line 33, of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detail view of a different embo-di-' ment of the mechanism for producing the bust expansion; Fig. 5, is a detail view from below on an enlarged scale, of the means for expanding the neck of the figure; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the skirt stand; Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the skirt stand; and Fig. 8 is a plan view of the pedestal base.

Referringnow to the drawings, a pedestal C is mounted upon its base which is composed of bow-shaped portions 0 connected together at their adjacent ends, said-base be ing carried by the feet 0. Within the triangular space formed by the bowed portions 0 a block is rigidly secured in such manner as to form an effective reinforcement therefor while at the same time serving as a mount for a vertical tube 0 which passes through a hole therein. Said tube at its lower end, is provided with a screw thread by means of which it is retained in the base by a nut 0 Part way above the lower end of the tube 0 a flange a forming an integral part thereof, provides means whereby said tube may be held in erect relation with the base by means of a tubular block 0. Mounted upon said tube above the flange c are a pluralityof short tubular sections 0 which are preferably made of turned wood and overlaid with spun aluminum. The sliding rod 0 is telescopically arranged in the tube 0 and is held in its adjusted position by means of the set screw 0. Upon the upper end of this sliding rod is secured in any desired manner, the screw threaded rod 0, upon which is mounted the garment form which will now be described.

The form proper comprises the neck, bust and abdominal portions, each of which is provided with distinct means for adjusting the size of such particular portion. The several portions may thus be enlarged or con tracted relatively to the central shaft 0 by which the form is carried. Shaft 0 is provided through-out most of its length with a threaded portion but at the upper end thereof remains unthreaded. Upon the upper unthreaded end of said shaft is mounted the neck expanding mechanism as shown best in Fig. 5. In this figure which represents a bottom plan view of the neckeX- panding device, a hollow spindle c is shown, the diameter of the hole in which is of suflicient size to provide a good turning fit about the unthreaded portion of the shaft 0. Upon the lower end of said hollow spindle and rigidly secured thereto is carried a circular plate 0 which is provided with spiral cam-slots 6 Upon the upper end of the same spindle is keyed or otherwise rigidly attached an operating member 0 by means of which the hollow spindle may be turned on the shaft 0. Above the circular plate 6 are slidably mounted the relatively adjustable frames e, e which are connected in any suitable manner (not shown) to the sections a, a of the bust portion respectively, said frames being provided with arms or slides 6 e rigid therewith. Projecting from each arm or slide 6 is a stud e which is adapted to be inserted into a cam-slot c whereby upon oscillation of the plate 6 the frame 6 with which it is connected, is caused to be moved inwardly or outwardly as may be necessary to enlarge or reduce the size of the neck portion.

Referring now to the bust portion of the frame, shown best in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, D is a traveler mounted upon the threaded portion of the rotary spindle 0. Its shape is approximately that which would be made by placing two pyramids base to base. As shown in the drawings, the traveler has four faces above and below to which are at tached in any suitable manner, the rails or runners (Z', (Z'. Securely attached to each of the four sections into which the bust is separated, is a lug a provided with a perforation whereby it may be retained in position by means of one of the runners cl passing therethrough. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 the lower ends of the runners have been inserted into bayonet slots in the metal plate which is secured to the lower apex of the traveler; in the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, their lower ends are secured directly to the sides of the traveler.

The sides of the pyramid are preferably lined with sheet metal to adapt them to make smooth contact with the inclined edges, or wedge surfaces, of the movable ribs a a Upon manually turning the spindle c in one direction, the traveler rises, and as a result causes the sections a a of the bust, to be pulled inwardly by the rails (Z (Z by virtue of their engagement with the ribs (4 (4 hen on the other hand, the spindle is turned in the other direction, the traveler descends and the sections are forced outwardly to expand the bust. In either case the traveler is held against rotation relatively to the bust by reason of its engagement therewith. While the traveler has been illustrated as being pyramidal in form, obviously, it could be made of any other appropriate shape desired.

Securely fastened to the traveler on either side and intermediate of the height thereof are the outwardly extending arms (P, which fork at (P, and come into engagement at the ends of their tines or branches, with the rails a a carried by the bust at the shoulders. The rails a a are given such inclination as to guide the upper portions of the bust sections to cause their movements to correspond with the movements of the lower portions of said sections. By this means the various parts of the bust are caused to expand and contract in proper relative proportion.

As shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, a a are the arm dummies or shoulder extensions which are formed with depressions a a to form lines of demarcation between the arms and body. These depressions are located at a greater or less distance from the neck according to the individual requirements of the particular figure.

The expansion and contraction of the abdominal portion of the dress form is closely connected with the manipulation of the skirt frames F. The sections or frames f f of the skirt frame F are suspended from the body by four double arms f P which are pivotally mounted upon horizontal pivots k, is and at their free or outer ends, are movably connected with the rods f 7. Normally when under the action of gravity alone, the arms f f assume the position shown in Fig. 2, while at the same time they are adapted to be shoved aside to permit the body to be passed down and into the skirt stand whenever it may be desired to pack the form. Thus it will be seen, Figs. 2 and 6, that the said skirt frame F will be slidably suspended from the said body by means of the engagement devices f f Near the bottom of the stand is a loose collar f carried by the pedestal and adapted to act as a support for the guide rods f Extending inwardly from the skirt stand sections are slides f f which are engaged frictionally by means of the guide rods f* F. The outer end of each of said slides, is carried by a link f", the opposite ends of which slidably connect with two adjacent sections f f of the stand. Upon the stand being expanded or contracted, the links f 6 are caused to some degree to move radially with the slides f f while undergoing practically no lateral displacement. The skirt sections f f on the other hand, are capable of free lateral motion relatively to the slides.

In order to adapt the abdominal portion of the dress form to be adjusted and retained at any desired size, a plurality of friction restrained slidably adjustable rods as shown at 72, in Fig. 2, are made use of. These adjustable ties are similar in action to the rods f, f and are retained in their adjusted positions by washer it.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a garment form the combination of a plurality of relatively movable longitudinal sections constituting the body of said form, a rotary screw-threaded spindle within said body, an internally threaded traveler on said spindle, means, including inclined converging rails and sliding members in engagement with said rails, for operatively connecting said traveler with said sections.

2. In a garment form, the combination of a plurality of relatively movable sections constituting the body, a plurality of transverse ribs rigidly attached to said section, a longitudinal screw-threaded spindle in said body, a screw threaded traveler on said spindle, and means comprising inclined rails secured to said traveler. and arranged to be slidably engaged by said ribs, whereby the said body may be contracted and expanded.

3. In a lay figure, the combination of a central vertical support, a vertically divided a plurality of slidably mounted bust thereon,

U-shaped sections connected to the neck of said bust, a rotatable plate provided with spiral slots, a plurality of arms secured to said U-shaped sections provided With studs for engaging in said slots, and means for imparting an angular oscillation to said plate to expand and contract said sections.

4. In a garment form, the combination of a body, an expansible skirt stand, engagement devices thereon capable of being shifted out of their normal positions so as to project beyond said body when desired, said expansible skirt-stand being slidably suspended from said body by means of said engagement devices, and normally of less diameter at the top than the bottom diameter of the body.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses this eighth day of September 1903.

JULIUS FREDERICK GEMS.

Witnesses:

T. SELY WARDLE, W. M. HARRIS.

Copies of this patent may -be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

